


Walking in a Twisted Wonderland

by MyntheLapine



Series: Wonderfully Twisted Tales of a Medical Hare [2]
Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Mild facts about things used in the notes, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pirate AU, contains aus, ratings and tags will vary, short story collection, warnings will be put in the beginning of chapters if needed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 08:01:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27719930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyntheLapine/pseuds/MyntheLapine
Summary: A companion piece to "March of the Hare: Mayhem and Bromance at NRC" that carries on where it left off and then some.This is a collection of all the scenes I wanted to write the most, ones that may just come to me as I go, side stories for events and birthday parties, and a handful of AUs. Each one will have my OC Piper Mimbleton play a part in some way or another, be it the main focus all the way to just popping in for a sassy word or two.All the same, hope you enjoy what is here, tagged for your reading safety and preferences.
Relationships: Jack Howl/Original Female Character(s), Original Female Character & Everyone
Series: Wonderfully Twisted Tales of a Medical Hare [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2027390
Comments: 20
Kudos: 21





	1. INDEX

This is the (to be frequently updated) index for your reading convenience. Need to know the chapters for a specific AU or just the order of the main storyline shorts? This here will be your ticket to sorting through the mess. Or key if you will~

Main Story:

  1. Mistake (Chapter 3) - Ace gets Piper into horror manga and all the paranoia he gains as his reward. Set somewhere between Octavinelle arc and before the Pomefiore arc.
  2. Scrambled (Chapter 4) - A nice baking-slash-study session with four out of five of Heartslaybul's prominent members. Set before the start of Octavinelle arc.
  3. Reflecting (Chapter 5) - A late night chat and hopes to change for the better. Leona-centric POV.
  4. Holiday (Chapter 6) - Holiday chapter during Scarabia arc. Poor Yuu should have gotten Piper's number before break...
  5. Clarity Part 1 (Chapter 7) - It's not a date, is it? Set in January, before VDC in Pomefiore and while everyone is training. 



Pirate AU:

  1. Playful (Chapter 2) - Captain Leona Kingscholar got his favorite _*cough*_ ONLY _*cough*_ ship's doctor a _heartfelt_ gift...




	2. Playful (Pirate AU)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part one of some of the Pirate AU drabbles, where Piper is the ship doctor of Leona's vessel.
> 
> Warnings: Brief mentions of Alcohol and handling of potentially deadly poisons. And Leona being a smug bastard.

The second the infamous jack ass that was Captain Leona Kingscholar gave a warm smile as he placed a wrapped parcel on the table, Piper had a bad feeling. Not that Leona was cruel, or that he never gave her something nice out of repayment or sometimes her birthday, but the fact that it neither was her birthday for some time, nor did he owe her any favors at the time. Giving her something out of the blue, and with such a friendly face?

Piper lowered her gaze at the package, and looked back into the lion beast man’s green iris’, suspicion laced in her stare. “There be somethin’ you be wanting?” she asked, placing her pestle on the table as a break from grinding the oleander leaves she found.

Leona didn’t even flinch, master of mind games he could be when motivated. Instead, he took the hat off his head, placing it over his scarred chest with a solemn expression. “Now now, why would I be after anything from our dear lady doctor? Am I not allowed to offer thanks for all the hard work you do keeping my men alive?”

His way of speaking was refined, having a note of a educated upbringing if not for his lazy drawl that tried to hide any sign of being descended from royalty. Many a fool could think he just faked that upper class manner of speaking to act further condescending to his peers and cohorts. But she was no fool. Even if the man was an arrogant bastard on the best of days, he indeed was from a prestigious bloodline.

He didn’t need to fake anything to be condescending. It’s just who he was.

Letting out an indignant and very unbecoming snort, Piper scowled. “Mayhap if ye weren’t as much a bum idling over yer grog I’d be more inclined to think so.” Tapping the grounds into an envelope with extreme care, she let out a false chuckle. “You getting off your arse in the middle of the day to treat me for my services? Is it snowing this fine day in July?”

Scowling, Leona jammed the hat back on his head. “Awfully cheeky today, aren’t you?”

Minty green eyes glittering with mischief as a smirk graced the hare’s face, Piper closed the envelope and stood to place it in her medicine trunk. “Oh sorry? It’s not like I had to nurse several drunken fools out of their stupors in the wee hours of the day.” Shutting the drawer of her more dangerous ingredients, she turned back to her work table and sat down with a stretch. “By all means, if you find my tongue too sharp you can replace me with someone better. If you can find anyone, that is.”

“You being the best medical mind on the sea, I’d be a fool to try,” he admitted with a resigned sigh. “That said, you do tend to overwork yourself, even without my orders.” Pushing the package closer to her, he said “I recall you saying grog and rum is too bitter to your sensitive tastes, so I hoped you’d give this a try. Swiped it from some smarmy merchant and recognized it’s one of those sweeter things women usually fancy.”

Raising a brow, she looked back at the package again. Truthfully, it wasn’t just the taste of alcohol she hated, but the fact Leona actually was being thoughtful to grab something in hopes it would help her unwind a bit left her hesitant to refuse the gift entirely. She just was never going to open it.

All the same, she picked up the package, unwrapping the untidy old parchment to see the label underneath. “Apple cider, eh? Like the stuff from the farming towns on land?” she asked.

Leona nodded . “It’s on the tart side, but pretty sweet if I recall right. Barely notice the alcohol in it.” Grinning he said “It’s pretty mild, but don’t swig it all down in one go. No one to look after the doctor if she gets a tad tipsy, now is there? Unless you want to trouble that poor lad Jack you’re so fond of.”

Playful as the wording was, there was a twinge of warning to it. That he cared enough to remind her instead of his ship hands, who got lost in their mugs without a complaint, showed he wasn’t completely heartless underneath it all. Even if his concern was not really necessary, nor helped much to make her feel any less alienated as the only feminine presence on the vessel, at least she knew he worried if she got hurt out of careless decision making.

Scowling all the same at his insinuation of whatever kind of relationship she had with said wolf, Piper nodded. “I’ll be keepin’ that in mind.” And by that, she meant it was staying in her cupboard never to see the light of day. But seeing the defeated slump in the captain’s shoulders, she slightly relented with “Maybe though, I’ll have a taste here and there if the occasion calls for it. A shame to let such generosity go to waste, I suppose.”

“Not such a wet blanket after all, now are you?” Striding to the door, he paused for a second. “Ah, and that’s 40 shillings out of your shares this week. Can’t be too generous?”

He ducked out just as a brass paperweight flew at the doorway with a streak of profanity behind it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oleander is poisonous when inhaled. And a very expensive kind of ingredient at that, not really reliably used to help with certain conditions for the skin, heart, and supposedly cancer. Piper is trained to handle it so to speak, and mainly for scientific experimentation purposes that she would not use to harm others, but really don't mess with that stuff. It's really dangerous. :"D
> 
> Apple Cider is also a sort of weak form of alcohol. Most are non-alcoholic in stores, but even the alcoholic kinds tend to be pretty low on the scale. I just let it sort of slide SOMEWHAT since Pirate AU... All the same, be sure to drink responsibly folks.


	3. Mistake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, sad note. My laptop kinda has an issue with it's hard drive. So updates may unfortunately take even longer now. But good news is I found a guy to fix it. But most of my stuff was backed up anyways, so no major losses, and he says he can probably restore the data on a new hard drive. Hopefully in a few days~
> 
> ANYWHO!
> 
> WARNING: This is a story I was lowkey wanting to add to my main fic, so a bit of potential spoilers?? And very vague discussions about horror manga and gore without detail.

Leaning back in one of the library chairs, Ace Trappola confessed "I might have done something I sorta regret…"

The scratching of Yuu and Deuce's pens stopped, as Grim put voice to what they were all thinking. "Who are you and where is the real Ace?"

"I'm me dammit, but look… I think I really messed up this time…" answered the auburn-haired trickster. "This? This is bad. Way worse than anything else…"

Yuu quirked a brow. "Worse than eating the tarts for the Unbirthday party? Picking a fight with Grim on the first day, and then trying to skip the window punishment that later resulted in the cafeteria chandelier getting broken? Or the time you made a huge mess of the chem lab and Crewel-sensei nearly blew a blood vessel hunting you and Deuce down?"

Pausing to shudder at the memory, Deuce chimed in. "Those are just some of the things you started and roped us into. We all had our parts in them, but the fact you say you suddenly have regrets over something now?"

Ace glared "Hey, that stuff was all in good fun, no one got hurt. Much..." Charging forward before anyone could correct him, he spat out "Look… it's about Piper."

Deuce pinched the bridge of his nose. "What did you do to piss her off this time?"

Crossing his arms in front of him, Ace cried out "Look, I'm innocent this time. I swear!"

It was no secret that there was a rather strained acquaintanceship between himself and the hare beast girl of Savanaclaw. The two didn't get along much at all, but they never really went _too_ far and tried to tolerate each other for the group's sake when in the same space. Even if it was more Piper ignoring his hijinks most of the time, seeing how much he liked to get under her skin.

Scoffing, Ace explained. "All I did was loan her a few horror manga series, alright? I was just hoping she'd get creeped out and return them with either tears in her eyes or get mad."

Yuu blankly stared back. "Do you like making girls cry or something?"

Ace huffed "I'm not some kind of freaky pervert. I just wanted a reaction." Rubbing at the forming headache, he continued. "But that's not the point. My point is, she actually enjoyed them. A lot. When she brought them back, she asked if I had any others and then started talking about the 'anatomically incorrect' gore scenes in a lot of detail without batting an eye."

Deuce raised a brow. "So you turned her into a horror buff? That's your only mistake you've made in this life?"

Ace heavily smacked a hand on the table, "She was making suggestions on better methods the killer could have used! Even with her medicine stuff she knows about, that's really concerning!"

A deep voice interrupted with "Do you idiots know how loud you're being? Keep it down."

Jack Howl, one of the star athletes and a fellow first year scowled at the group. A sort of friend if you wanted to call it that, as well as the rumored 'guard dog' people said was in charge of their only resident female student.

Funny to say when Piper was more than well able to take care of herself. Jack was just the person she hung out with the most out of anyone, and often warded off some of the more ill intentioned male students. Some claimed they were more than that, but outside of the characteristically friendly nature the girl had in general, there was no proof to back that up.

Grim snorted. "Ace is just terrified of the rabbit girl. Thinks she's out for blood or something."

Ace glared at the flaming nuisance for ratting him out, as he tried to cover himself. "I'm just saying that it's not normal for someone to know how to perfectly hide a body, or at least leave absolutely no evidence. I really didn't need to know that knee caps aren't able to be burned."

Jack shrugged. "She's got all kinds of odd facts like that. You'd be surprised how handy that comes in if you listened to her talk on occasion."

"Hey, you want to find yourself murdered in your sleep after pissing off your girlfriend, be my guest. Don't say I never tried to warn you." Standing up, Ace grumbled "I'm out of here. Maybe try out napping in the botanical gardens myself for a change…"

Not even looking up from their book, Yuu said "Feel free to come visit when you stop pouting over conspiracy theories."

* * *

"Alright, heave… ho!"

Jade Leech reached out to grab the bottom of the black tarp. "Do be careful, Piper-san. This is rather unstable, and I should dread to think what could happen if it were to come apart."

"Admirable as your care is…" she exhaled. "I've done this before. We'll get them transferred in one piece, so no need to worry."

Between the two of them, you wouldn't guess she would be much aid in transporting such a large cultivation log. It was from a Socotra dragon tree, about as big as a person while being quite thick and heavy. The need to keep the mushrooms intact was also key.

Piper was stronger than she seemed however, and had no trouble really. Outside of the odd angle she had to carry it while keeping up with Jade's much longer legs. That, and…

"Hang tight, I need to readjust my grip…" she said, fixing her hold before looking at the stone pathway where the red, sticky resin was dripping. "Could you also slow the pace a bit? There's some of the dragon's blood spilling, which is such a waste of a rare medical component."

For once looking a trifle vexed, Jade nodded. "Very well. But keep in mind you can only have it after we managed to salvage each of the Dead Man's Toes…"

Puffing out her cheeks, Piper grunted "You act like I'd be stupid enough to forget our little deal. I help you collect what you need, and properly dispose of the rest…"

"And you keep what you want in exchange. But we best hurry before there's any further mistakes, shall we?" Jade began to walk again, if taking smaller strides to accommodate his assistant.

Vanishing into the clearing within the botanical gardens they agreed to use for the clean up, both had no idea of one particular member of Heartslaybul completely misunderstanding what kind of exchange just occured.

But after that, Ace did begin to respect Piper's boundaries a great deal more at least?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Socotra dragon tree, or dragon's blood tree, are a specific species found in Yemen in the dragons forest. They secret a special red resin reported to have a wide variety of medical uses as well as make a wood dye for Stradivarius violins. These trees are also listed as Vulnerable on the list of extinct species, so let's say they got this piece as a result of the tree catching a disease and being allowed a sample...
> 
> Dead Man's Toes are a type of fungi, called so because they grow on the bottom of logs and peek out from beneath, looking like toes of an unhealthy color.
> 
> I cannot vouch that said fungus would grow on these trees, but hey, creative liberty in a world of magic I guess?


	4. Scrambled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was actually going to be a part of Chapter 8 in March of the Hare originally, but I scrapped it for later. I still thought it was a cute short thing with the lads of Heartslaybul set before the whole Octavinelle shenanigans.
> 
> World fabrication featuring made up people for history and their fake accomplishments. None of the medical shiz is real as far as I know, SO PLEASE DON'T TRY IT AT HOME~
> 
> And this is set before "Mistake" btw. I would change the order, but a bit late for that I guess...

“Alright little Piper-chan~ Who was the famous mage who found multiple uses for hawthorne bark?”

Giving a brief glance at Cater, the young hare turned back to beating eggs with a whisk while thinking over the question. The answer was on the tip of her tongue, but she still hesitated. “Augustus… Barley I want to say?”

Frowning, Cater shook his head. “So close… his last name is Barlowe, not Barley.” Giving a wink, he flipped the page. “Let’s try the bonus question. What were two of the most renown remedies that resulted from his research?”

Ah, this one was easy. Pointing at him with the whisk, Piper grinned “It was a part of the potion that was said to reverse the symptoms of frostbite, making travel to colder regions somewhat less of a threat. Another is what is commonly used for severe digestive ailments, including purging intestinal parasites when mixed with ginger.”

“Aheh? Uhm… yeah, that’s right.” Cater’s complexion looked a tad sour. “Let’s move on to Deuce-kun next, shall we?”

Trey chuckled from across the counter from her, where he was pounding dough. “Looks like you got a bit too excited there Piper-chan… Cater has a bit of a weak stomach, so do try to go easy on him.”

“Oh… my bad.” Slightly flustered, she changed the topic. “So… the recipe says to fold the eggs into the batter, but how do you fold an egg? Surely they don’t mean to cook it like an omelette first, do they?”

It was clear Trey was trying to maintain his laughter at her question. Unlike Ace, who was cracking up as he just sat in a corner and watched the rest of them.

“A-are you serious? Pfft…”

Narrowing her eyes over at the red head, Piper scowled. If he was going to make fun of her, he could at least help out with the baking.

Trey cleared his throat. “Now, it’s an easy mistake to make… I’m just glad you asked me first.” Rolling the wad of dough he had and placing more flour down to coat the surface, he explained “You just take a fourth of your egg whites and stir it into the batter until it turns a brighter color. Then you add half of what is left and then you use the spatula to stir in a motion from the center to push the batter down and churn the bottom of the mix to the top, repeating it while moving the bowl at a quarter turn. Then you add the rest of the egg whites and do it again.”

“So… like this?” The first part was simple enough, and as she added the second portion, Piper stuck the spatula in the center and pulled it towards her before lifting the mix and pushing it back towards the center.

Glancing up for approval, Trey was smiling. “Yep, that’s it. You’re a fast learner.”

Beaming at the praise, she continued stirring while scanning the recipe.

Piper had not really intended to be spending Wednesday afternoon in a baking-slash-study group with some of the boys she had met from Heartslaybul. But given how she still felt a bit bad about crashing the tea party with Floyd before, and Trey had seemed pretty busy with the baking for the next one, she offered to help him out. Cater had tagged along, chatting here and there before Ace and Deuce showed up, the former looking to swipe a snack and the latter aiming to try and keep his associate from breaking some rule about said snacking.

Deuce brought up the topic of needing to study, and Cater came up with the idea they bring their stuff along and they do a pseudo-pop quiz of some sort. It seemed an odd idea at first, but their senpai was really clever under that social influencer stuff. He managed to ask some pretty good questions once they told him what sections they were studying, and at least for her, it helped boost confidence on the upcoming exams.

Jack of course had been a great studying partner before, but she was sure even he sometimes needed a break from her presence to knuckle down and focus. That, and she vowed to kick his butt in getting a higher score.

Between self-studying, attending classes, and working a few shifts at the Mystery Shop, it was nice to have fun with others in the midst of working.

“Ahh… Deuce-kun, are you sure you read the right pages while studying?” Cater groaned. “... Piper, you're smart and have History of Magic, so maybe you can help out your fellow first year here?”

The blue haired boy sputtered, almost dropping the bowl of walnuts he was shelling. “C-Cater-senpai, I rather… Uhm…” He vaguely glanced at her, only to flinch as she was staring back at him. “W-we don’t have the same class, so maybe Ace would buh-be better?”

Ace scowled “Why me? I’m saving my studying for later, so have fluff butt help you out.” Swiping a handful of the walnuts from the bowl, he coyly asked “Unless you want to hurt her feelings showing you don’t want to study with her for some reason?”

Piper glowered at Ace. “I assure you, my feelings are just fine.” Giving a playful smile at Deuce, she added “It’s only natural to be intimidated by me. I am quite lethal with a spatula it seems.”

That made him chuckle a bit. Which was good, seeing as it helped the poor guy relax a tad. For whatever reason, Deuce just seemed to act suddenly timid when he was made to interact with her. And given how he was normally with Ace, he didn’t seem to be the shy type exactly.

“I won’t force it, but if Deuce would like to study with me I’m fine with it?” she said, finished with the batter.

In spite of his nervousness, Deuce nodded his agreement as he moved the walnuts out of his companions reach. “Sure!” he said with a small, wobbly smile, ears red from shyness.

Ah, the precious sight of progress. Grinning, she asked “I should wash my hands before messing with the text books, plus uh… can you point me to the closest bathroom?”

Trey pointed to the hallway. “Two doors down on the right.”

Ace smirked. “Don’t forget to powder your nose too fluff-” he started, before having a handful of flour smack him in the face.

“Powder that,” Piper huffed as she vanished down the hall.

Ace pouted, patting his hair. “It’s going to be a pain getting this out…”

Cater snorted as he took a photo. “That’s what happens when you tease someone too much.” Turning to show the picture to Trey, he grinned “I bet Riddle-kun will like this one.”

Shrugging, the red head answered “She acts too nice, so why not try and press her buttons a bit? At least she’s shown she has a temper.”

Trey smirked. “You know, they say there are three things a wise man fears. A moonless night, a stormy sea, and the wrath of a gentle soul. Might be a smart thing to apologize to her later.”

Cater shuddered. “Thinking how she wants to be a doctor, I already got chills. The stuff she knows about that stomach parasite thing earlier was pretty scary.” Even if he was laughing, his complexion looked a tad green.

Ace shrugged before trying to get into the chocolate chips. “I don’t think I have much to worry about if the best she’s got is dusting my hair.”

Returning to the kitchen, Piper fiddled with the edges of her half gloves that replaced the rubber ones she’d been wearing before. “Alright~ All set.” Swapping spots with Cater, she asked “Which area we covering?”

Deuce froze. “Uhm… S-section 6 in H-history of Magic.”

‘ _Poor guy…_ ’ she thought. “Alright, buck up. I’m sure we can get you memorizing this in no time!”

Suffice it to say, Deuce wound up so nervous he later forgot everything...


	5. Reflecting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been trying to get over some block brought on by holiday blues and old trauma, so I can't promise I'll have a Christmas-esque chapter done in time even if I know what I want to do. So I hope you like this Post Savanaclaw arc snippet. I been writing a lot of Leona lately, but I have a good reason, trust me~ :"D
> 
> Admittedly I am not 100% confident with this chapter, but I still like it enough to want to share.

It was late in the night, perhaps even the next day as the soft shuffle of slippered feet disappeared into the Savanaclaw dorm kitchen. Sharp green eyes peered over from the dining room as Leona tried not to feel frustrated at the potential intrusion. He already was moody thanks to sleep choosing to evade him for once, leaving only too much time to think over things while staring into the night sky outside his window.

Why he thought leaving his room was a good idea was beyond him. But now that he was no longer the only one, he wanted to see who was perhaps trying to sneak into the snacks or whatever they were doing. Slowly he stood up, taking care not to make a sound as he crept over to the doorway between him and the small shadow moving through the pans hanging over the stove.

A flicker of a pilot light sparked, revealing the weary face of the resident female student as she placed a kettle on the stove, lid up. Sighing, she shot a look towards the dining room with a scowl. “Whoever it is, you can come out of hiding already. I heard you the second the chairs in there shifted.”

Damn, way to ruin his image of a silent yet deadly hunter… Stepping into her line of sight, he flicked the lights on. “What the hell are you doing at this hour?”

Her eyelids hooded as she gave him a judging stare, Piper then pulled down a mug from the cabinet. The sight of her bare hands caught his eye as she answered “Can’t sleep. Cocoa. You?”

Leona almost wanted to tell her to watch her tone, but hesitated. After all, he couldn’t blame her being in a bit of a mood for lack of sleep. Combined with the whole reveal of his sins after going into Overblot, Piper had become a bit cold towards him. He had been a bit of a jerk to her, and didn’t care about hurting some of the people she was friendly with.

He didn’t really give her an apology either for some of the more mean things he said out of stress, and he probably wouldn’t ever given his sense of stubborn pride. But it sort of bothered him, at least to where he didn’t want to stir up a hornet’s nest by pissing her off more.

“Can’t sleep. Make me a mug.”

He still was in charge however, and wasn’t the best at asking in favor of ordering for something he wanted. A fact he held no shame at all for, even smirking as she rolled her eyes and pulled an extra mug down. It didn’t last as he looked back at her hands. It was the first time he’d seen them without her gloves or some kind of covering.

Some kind of scar tissue covered the back of them, visible as she held the mug between her palms. Noticing his stare, she pulled them off the counter to hide them by crossing her arms.

He almost wanted to ask, but then it was better he didn’t. For one, it seemed to be something she didn’t want known. And she probably wouldn’t give an answer if he did, so best not to stick his nose in something that didn’t concern him.

At the very least, they didn’t seem to be recent. But it did make the already awkward situation a bit more so…

Leona really wasn’t one for meaningless small talk. Hated it in fact, seeing as it was a waste of time when they could just get to the point. But this strained silence was just aggravating.

“So… Think you’re prepared enough for the upcoming exams?” He didn’t miss the slight flinch she gave when he spoke up, nor was he sure about the long stare she fixed on him. Maybe he shouldn’t have bothered.

“I think I’ll do fantastic. Top 20 easy.” Snorting, she pulled out a spoon to measure the cocoa mix into both mugs. “Unlike some people, I take pride in my education and aim for the top. I even made a bet with Jack to see who gets the better score. He’s probably the only other first year in the dorm who I would consider a worthy opponent with how serious he’s been about studying.”

Blinking slowly, to say he was a bit stunned at her sudden cockiness was an understatement. Chuckling softly, Leona couldn’t resist saying “So you are the competitive type after all. Aiming for the big leagues and ready to take down even your friends…”

He stopped as she gave him a faint glare. Right… a bit too much a reminder of recent past events.

“I like the challenge. I do admit, having the chance to crush others who doubt my skills is _very_ satisfying to think about…” Pulling the kettle from the stove top and turning off the heat, she poured an even amount into both mugs. “And seeing as I know you’ve been thinking about it, I am upset with you, but more for my own sake than anyone else. I am taking a bit of that advice you gave about how I shouldn’t let my kindness sway my better judgement.”

Not quite sure what to say now, Leona just decided to keep quiet. Some part of what she said did reach him, about taking his advice. When he had said that, he’d been out of his mind with self righteous arrogance, mistaking her asking him to stop his rampage as being weakness. That she was just being a soft hearted fool for letting morality stand in the way of his goals. Both her and that pup Jack...

Pushing the mug towards him, she said one final thing.

“I’m not as mad as I was. So I can now thank you for telling me in your own way I need to hold others more accountable for their bullshit and not feel bad about it later.” Picking up her own cocoa, she turned to the door. “Good night, Boss.”

Even if it kinda stung when she used to be so proud of their team, of his ability to be a good leader, Leona maybe felt a bit glad she wasn’t forgiving him so easily. He’d never say it, but having the support of the dorm did matter to him, having others who looked up to him in spite of what his magic was, and the destruction he was capable of.

She had a reason to be mad. But if she was calling him ‘Boss’ again, maybe he was doing something right to earn back some amount of trust. He’d have to just accept her own challenge and prove he wasn’t going to make such a stupid mistake again. 

Taking a sip of the cocoa, he scowled. Of course it had espresso in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the instance I don't get the chance to tell all of you lovely folks later down the road, I wish all of you the best holidays and hope the new year is better than this one has been for everyone. Until the next chapter, see ya~


	6. Holiday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a tad on the late side for holiday stuff, but I hope the illustration I put at the end makes up for it. (I drew it myself~)

Blinking slowly, there was a sharp intake of breath as Piper found herself surfacing back into the waking world. Sleep still clung to her mind, making her thought process a bit jumbled.

The light outside was brighter beyond the curtain, but even so she was no genius who could tell the time just by the length of shadows. But even if it was noon or beyond she wasn’t too sure if she wanted to crawl her butt out of bed yet or try and snooze a bit more. Her eyes wandered the room, looking for a reason to get up, only to blink at the orange blossoms boldly greeting her from the bedside table.

Oh, right. That was one of Jack’s cacti she was taking care of over the holidays for him. A Christmas cactus. It must have bloomed while she was sleeping…

Sitting up, Piper beamed at the delicate flowers proudly displaying themselves as she pulled out her phone to take a picture. Which admittedly took her a few minutes, seeing as she was still new to using the thing. But just before she could press the camera button, the battery died.

“Shit… forgot to charge you last night. “ she said with a curse. Looking back at the cactus and tilting her head slightly in contemplation, she hummed. “Hmmm… maybe it’s divine intervention… I should get you somewhere nice for a picture anyway so your owner can see how pretty you look…” Glancing over at the alcove where her own plant children were patiently waiting for some TLC, she smiled softly. “Alright, I’ll get dressed and come see to you all soon.”

Hopping out of bed, the curtains were pulled back to let the light in before she put her phone on charge. Pausing a moment to give a big stretch, a pop sounded from her shoulder while she used one foot to pull open the bottom drawer of her clothing bureau. It was still warm as ever in Savanaclaw’s dormitory, but it was snowing quite a bit on campus.

Did she want to go on campus today? The only people she could visit were Octavinelle, Diasomnia and Ramshackle dorms… Piper wasn’t sure if Scarabia was still doing their study camp and didn’t want to stick her head in uninvited to break their concentration. Not that she really had talked to many students there just yet…

She wasn’t exactly on the best of terms with Octavinelle either, but Floyd wasn’t too bad. Sometimes… It wouldn’t hurt to stop by and wish them well.

And maybe she could do Silver a solid and save them from the eternal death of Lilia’s cooking by helping out with lunch again. Or dinner. What time was it anyways? She supposed she could check the time while making a light something in the kitchen after finishing in her plant care.

Who knows, maybe Grim and Yuu would finally show up after being The Great Seven knew where the past few days… Not that she worried much.

Pulling out a light long-sleeved beige shirt and black leggings, she changed in her private bathroom. It was tolerable to wear in this heat but still good for the cooler temperature on campus with a coat and other covering layers. Doing a quick brush of her hair, which was now in it’s winter coat, and brushing her teeth, Piper was ready for the day.

Doing her daily plant care routine, she opened up the curtains and placed the Christmas cactus on a small table that still had some free space beside her beloved Peppermints and Lavender pots. It got a fair amount of indirect sunlight, so it would be cozy until Jack came back.

She couldn’t wait to see what he’d say about the picture she would send him. One thing she loved about having him as her friend was how he genuinely got it when it came to being a plant parent. Having that in common was more than enough for her, even as she found a lot of things she admired about the wolf beastman.

Maybe she was making more friends nowadays, but what she had with Jack was special in her eyes. He gave her some confidence in being her real self with others more.

Too bad people kept mistaking their friendship as romance. It made it awkward for both of them at times, especially when she had zero intentions of dating anyone while at school. Piper just wasn’t ready for things like that, especially when she was well aware how her sheltered upbringing made her a bit… too unprepared, both mentally and emotionally.

That stuff could wait for after she made it big and opened her own apothecary. Or just when she felt she was matured enough to not let her feelings blind her sense of reason. The very last thing she wanted was to be the same as…

Sighing, she shook that thought away before getting down to work. Watering what needed watering, and pruning this and that, the young hare hummed a random tune under her breath with the occasional mumbled words of encouragement. Talking to flowers and herbs was a form of comfort for her, even if she realized it got some odd looks from some in the Science club.

By the time she finished, her mood was a bit better as she checked her phone to see it was at thirty percent charge. But while it would last most of the day with how little she used it, she rather be at around fifty before leaving at least. 

So, off to breakfast she went.

Making a trip downstairs to the dorm kitchen and grabbing a bit of fruit and toast, Piper ate while preparing the basket of goods she would take with her once she realized it was still fairly early. The cookies and jams she made over break out of boredom went in, leaving space for the candles she’d created from the essential oils and other things she’d crafted from her own plants. The whole thing was filled with byproducts of her ‘glorified garden’ as Ruggie had put it before, and that she planned to give as gifts.

It had helped stave off a great deal of her anxiety over the past few days at least, just crafting and occasionally visiting the residents of Diasomnia for a few hours. Being in a place by herself really made her think too much about things if she wasn’t busy.

Pausing to smell one of the candles, she grinned. A nice, gentle scent that was easy on the sensitive noses of beastmen. A handful were normal for the people who weren’t bothered by such things as strong aromas, but they were wrapped up to try and mask the odor better.

Hopefully it gave Sebek significantly less to complain about if she gave him one of the candles. But not likely. At least Silver was sure to like them…

There was a nice Vanilla scented kind she made for Malleus, since Lilia had mentioned how he likes ice cream. She didn’t want to try and give him actual ice cream, so something that smelled like a popular flavor would do the trick. Lilia was eager to try some of her baked goods, and had reassured her even if she wanted to poison him he was immune to such things with his training  _ back in the day _ ...

Covering her precious cargo, she gave a quick test to see if it was too heavy or not, but figured it was fine since it would become lighter as she went. If Yuu and Grim weren’t home again, she’d just leave the basket with their ghostly room mates. 

She’d certainly have to give her number to Yuu the next time she saw them...

Slipping back up to her room to grab her phone, Piper snapped a quick photo of the cacti. Messaging to Jack ‘ _ Hey look! Your child bloomed just in time to wish you a Merry Christmas! _ ’ with a goofy smile emoji before tucking it into her coat pocket, she made the journey out to the mirror gate to stop by Octavinelle first.

Hopefully she could bat Floyd’s sneaky fingers away from stealing all of the sweets without her approval… And if she was lucky, maybe Azul might find her candles for beastmen interesting. As long as he didn’t try prying about her Unique Magic again…

“Whelp… Sooner I see them, the quicker I can ditch,” she promised herself.

All in all, even if things were nice now, she still couldn’t wait for when everyone would be back from holiday. But until then, Piper think she would manage just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be the only time I add an image to the fic, I SWEAR.
> 
> Unless you guys want me to do it now and then... I might be cool adding a cute art piece at the end of a chapter on occasion. But otherwise, this is the only time.


	7. Clarity (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not a date... is it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting antsy so... had to get this out of my system.
> 
> A two-parter. Just so you know~

The feeling of excitement is a hard thing to contain at times, and for Piper, it took a lot to not want to scream into her pillows with all the giddy adrenaline pulsing through her veins. It was the weekend, and for the first time, she was making a trip into the nearby village at the base of the mountain. There were a few thrift shops and second-hand book stores she wanted to check out, as well as sightsee and just experience the culture the Isle of Sages had to offer. Now that Crowley had finally given his approval to let her leave campus and see it, she had every intention of making the most of it.

And the best part? Jack was coming along.

It had come to her attention that, over the five months since she first got to know him, something always felt different when she was with the secretly soft wolf boy. But she was still unsure just what was different. How, after all of the other friends she had made over time, he still had a way of standing out somehow.

When she had mentioned how the headmaster required that she needed to have someone with her in town that her dorm leader approved of to keep her safe and out of trouble, he instantly volunteered. Piper had wondered about asking him in the first place but had hesitated in case he already had plans. Leona didn’t care, and Jack always proved himself to be one of the most reliable anyway, despite only being the first year, so it was easy to get the pass to go once she agreed she was okay with taking him with her.

But it still made her wonder why he wanted to. Not that she was against his company, but there were times he would do things that made little to no sense to her. Like how he sometimes went out of his way to walk her back to the dorm when she had a late shift at the Mystery Shop, especially before she even had a phone. Or times he’d visit the science club when he had no other plans, just to watch her doing small tasks like distilling essential oils or tinkering with her underwater garden biome she was collaborating with Octavinelle later on down the road. Once she managed to get the test model fully functioning that is…

Jack still was in awe when she told him how she managed to convince Azul of all people to consider her idea by just showing him potatoes. Not that it was the full story of course, but it cut out explaining the science behind the differences in potatoes grown on top of a steep mountain, and those grown in fields further down. He would wait patiently, sometimes offer his assistance with any heavy lifting despite her protests she was able to manage. And even if he didn't always get it, he would listen to her rambling about her projects and the plants she tended to until Rook would insert himself into the conversation, speaking about the beauty of budding flowers. 

There always seemed to be some innuendo of sorts hidden beneath that French accent that made both of them a bit annoyed. But nosy Rook never cared much about the mischief he caused. More like he thrived on it...

All the same, Jack would still linger until it was time for the club to end. Walking alongside her, he acted like he didn’t care, but it almost seemed like he was looking out for her at times.

Piper would almost scowl at the idea that maybe he didn’t think she’d be able to handle herself, but he was always the last person to look down on her abilities. And having him coming along to town would make it more fun anyway. More hands to help carry things if she asked nicely, and a great person to hold a conversation with.

And maybe, just maybe she could have some time to try and sort out what it was about him that made Jack so hard to keep far from her thoughts…

A wrap on her door drew her from her thoughts, which likely was a good thing as she had been standing in front of her bedroom mirror without finishing her tie. A call of “I’m almost ready, but feel free to come in!” was what she shot to the door.

“Oi… You know the bus leaves in twenty minutes…” Ruggie Bucchi scoffed. Quirking a brow, he added “You’re wearing just that for a date? I figured you’d be trying to at least wear something cute besides the school uniform. Not that you have time for that.”

Glaring at him, she chided “The uniform is mandatory. And it’s not a date, just an outing.” Finally getting the knot just right, she hesitated for a second. It wasn’t a date, right?

No, it couldn’t be.

Snatching up her bag she packed in advance the night before, Piper pulled on a scarf and her jacket, as well as her new gloves. A gift from the hyena boy by the door in fact, since he said her old ones were getting too ratty. “Cute enough?” she joked as Ruggie stepped out of the way for her to close the door.

“How should I know, I’m no fashion wiz?” he answered with a scowl. “Here, take this slip Crowley sent. It’s in case anyone gives you any trouble about being a student here. Don’t lose it.”

Accepting the envelope, she slid it into her pouch. “Thanks. See ya senpai!”

“Yeah… take care.” His last words were lost as she already was running off. Sighing, at least he knew Jack would be able to keep her out of harm’s way.

* * *

Said wolf in question, now on the bus with the hare girl herself, was not too keen on the bumpy ride.

The road to and from NRC to the island village was not exactly long, but it had a habit of winding back and forth quite a bit down the mountain. There were no shortcuts, and walking on foot had been out of the question, so here he was trying to not feel sick with each jolt and swerve. This _had_ to be the reason why not many students liked to make this trip.

Piper, bless her kind heart, attempted to help him as best she could. But with her small stature, even her abnormal strength was unable to help much with the rocking motion. So she resorted to patting his back and whisper reassuring words that it would all be over soon.

Thankfully, it settled down once they reached the bottom of the incline and were traveling through the country roads.

“You okay big guy?” Piper asked.

Taking another deep breath to try and shake off nausea, Jack muttered “Yeah. Hope the trip back is less of a pain in the ass.”

Chuckling slightly, she nodded. “For both of our sakes…” Now that her friend was stable, she turned to look out the window. It was the early morning still, and the coastline was much more clear from where they currently were. The January snow was gone for the moment, leaving sunlight to sparkle on the ocean like diamonds. It was impossible to miss the look of wonder on her face.

“Nice view…” he said.

Looking over at him, she graced him with a huge smile. “Isn’t it? I’ve never been so close… Even in Octavinelle, it’s all underneath the sea. It’s still beautiful, but this just gives it a whole new angle…”

Snorting in amusement, it was almost like Jack was never ill in the first place. “We can check out the beach later. If we have time…”

“Heh, I’m so excited I don’t even know where to start.” Glancing back at the window, the light was now glistening in her hair too. It was off-white, like how it was when they first met, only now it was almost to her shoulders.

He still remembered when she had said how she recognized him from the ceremony because of his fur being a familiar sight to her. It was a common trait in beastmen from Pyroxene, namely in the areas with the most snow. But the fact he never crossed paths with her before, despite being so close to each other, made him feel… odd.

Sometimes he wished he could have known Piper for as long as he had Vil. Maybe they could have played together as kids, and she wouldn’t have gone through some of the things she had talked about, even only with vague hints as to the whole story. He still felt pretty upset thinking about the scars on the back of her hands, knowing full well she wasn’t completely honest about it all being a mistake with a tea kettle when she was young.

There had been something hidden in her eyes when she had said it. Some kind of fear, but he didn’t want to ask for the truth when it seemed like a wound that was far deeper than the skin. She was honest about many things, but her life before her teacher was a mystery even to him. All she mentioned was her grandmother who she loved dearly with how fondly she spoke of her, but nothing of her other kin.

He has a feeling he wouldn’t like the answer. But he wouldn’t pry her about it. Some secrets were best left unsaid until the moment you wanted to share them.

Sighing as the bus finally rolled to a stop, he stood up. “Try not to get separated, alright? If you have to, grab on to me so you don’t get swept up in the crowds.”

Bobbing her head in understanding, she followed him into the station and out onto the streets of the village square. But as the sight of the sheer amount of people, buildings, and all the accompanying sounds, smells, and voices came into her view, she hesitated by the steps. Like a deer in the headlights, she froze, clearly in shock from the overwhelming amount of activity buzzing about.

Jack instantly stepped in front of her, blocking her field of vision for a moment as he pulled her aside. “Hey, take it easy… deep breaths. Slowly…” Grabbing one of her hands, he held it between his own, rubbing his thumbs over it in what he hoped was a form of reassurance. “No need to push yourself… We can wait somewhere quietly if you need time to adjust, alright?”

He’d been afraid it might be a bit too much for her to deal with. That was why he wanted to be the person to go with her in the first place, knowing that even now she was still not the best with crowds. The whole stampede during the Magical Shift tournament back in October hadn’t helped, making her already shaky anxiety into something terrifying. She knew this and likely came here to try and overcome it a bit.

And while he admired her courage, he didn’t think forcing it was the right choice either. But he couldn’t just tell her she shouldn’t go and see the world first hand. At least the village was small by normal standards.

“I’m okay… Just… needed a minute,” she mumbled. It would have been impossible to hear, if not for his keen sense of hearing. “But… maybe taking some time to adjust would be good, as you said…”

Glancing about, he quickly spotted a closeby shop. A small cafe, not too far in case something bad happened.

“Let’s try there?” he suggested, pointing at it. “We can sit down and get some water at least.”

“Alright.”

“Hold on to me,” he advised. He didn’t care about looking soft right now. He just wanted her to feel safe. So whoever stared be damned if he was holding her hand while they walked across the street. Even if he was concerned by the growing red hue in her face…

The inside of the cafe was small, not quite crowded by the lunchtime crowd yet either. A few glances shot their way, turning to stare as they spotted him. Ignoring the funny looks, he just nodded a greeting to the hostess.

“A booth please,” he asked, seeming to startle her with his polite way of asking. He couldn’t see Piper right now, as she was standing behind him slightly, but her grip on the back of his jacket let her know she was there.

Thankfully they were able to be seated quickly, and after asking for water, they were able to finally relax.

“We should order something too since we have gone this far…” Piper suggested. Her complexion was still more pink than normal, but the panic was gone. Even if she was avoiding looking at him at the moment. “It might be rude to just ask for water and run.”

“Something light then? If we go back on the bus after, it would be better not to lose it on the ride,” he pointed out. “But if you are up to it, it’s still best to not eat too much while sightseeing either.”

A humph of annoyance, even if she was smiling. “I’d hate to go through all of this just to turn back before we’ve had the chance to further enjoy the village. Let’s hope we can avoid such an abysmal outcome.”

“You’ve picked up a lot of that old fashioned talk over the holidays.” Smirking, Jack prodded “It seems Sebek rubbed off on you.”

Piper shrugged. “He isn’t so terrible when he’s not shouting or talking non-stop about Malleus-senpai.” Flipping open the menu, she scanned the pages. “He taught me how to play chess. Always wanted to learn.”

“He didn’t call you a temptress again?”

Piper folded the menu and smacked him lightly on the shoulder with it. “That is not funny. Stop laughing, you jerk!”

Too late now. Damn that deep chuckle!

Glowering behind the menu, she huffed. “No, he did not for your information. He’s only done that twice, and quit once I made it quite clear I have no such feelings towards Malleus-senpai.”

“Well, from his perspective I can kind of see it.” Raising his hands before she could respond, he added “Think about it. Not a lot of people have the guts to even cross paths with someone like that, let alone ask about borrowing his collection of medieval literature every week. If I didn’t know you as someone who foolishly stops caring about a guy’s reputation once you around them for a while, I’d say you probably had a thing for him too.”

Piper blew a raspberry. “Do not. I just think the whole lot of you at NRC are bigger dorks than you let on. And I am very cautious, thank you!” Sipping her glass of water, she leered at him. “Besides, I borrow your fertilizer all the time, do I not?”

“You can’t just _borrow_ fertilizer…” he corrected.

“Then it’s a good thing I’m closer to you than Malleus then,” she grinned.

That blush was so worth it. Jack knew very well there was no winning with her like this. “Well, your feeling better at least,” he grumbled.

“All thanks to my super amazing best friend,” she reminded him, winking to tease him just a bit further.

A chuff was all she got, as now he was the one pouting behind the laminated paper. 

He was so much fun to mess with~

Her catty grin softening, she mumbled “... But really. Thanks.” The hand he held before was no longer in his grasp. However, the memory of the sensation of his firm yet gentle hold, and the brush of his thumbs on over her scars lingered. It had made her chest and stomach tingle, being touched so delicately, almost like being treasured…

His golden eyes, piercing and so beautiful, were warm as he looked back at her. “I wouldn’t be a man, let alone a good friend if I didn’t look out for you now and then…” Clearing his throat, he stiffened up back into his ‘bad boy’ image yet again. “Just don’t go forcing yourself to do anything like that if you aren’t sure. It could wind up even worse.”

It was a bit startling, hearing the amount of concern and relief mixed in his voice. The casual waps of his tail hitting the leather of the booth, and his large ears tucked downwards with a hint of a smile breaking that mask he tried to hold...

She didn’t think she could see anyone else like he was now, not with how her heart was pounding and the desire to reach out and-

And what?

Piper felt maybe, just maybe she was starting to get it. What made Jack so special to her. Now all that remained was, what to do now that she knew she had such strong feelings of attraction towards him.

A question for a different time perhaps.

“I’ll be more careful, I promise.”

For now, she would pretend she still saw them as just friends. And what else can a best friend do but take care not to make him worry?

Today was going to be fun, for both of them. She’d make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you for part 2~! >:3c


End file.
